Sydney Cricket Ground

After five ultra quality competitive Test matches between Australia v India over the last few weeks including this low-scoring World Heavyweight Championship of Cricket decider at the Sydney Cricket Ground, we’ve now got a winner in both this 5th & final game as well as the Border-Gavaskar Trophy series with the game now over through three days out of five – and the winner goes to Australia who just hit the winning runs by six wickets.

Glad they were able clean up India’s 2nd innings batting haul for 157 this morning with Scott Boland leading the way following his six-wicket haul that sets up 162 to win. Although our Top 3-4 may have disappointed us in the lead-up towards lunch including Steve Smith who was left stranded on 9,999 overall Test runs after another cheap dismissal yet again, but at least they have stuck to their game all along and that was enough to bring them home (just right on that run target) over Team India.  

Kudos to quick all-round debutant Beau Webster’s (age 31 by the way) amazing batting show who deserves to take home that middle stump along with the bat on top of his first innings half-century after he scored the final ball four for that winning moment as well as the Kookaburra ball while he’s sound backing up our fast bowling cartel & can also take catches too.

We also cannot forget Travis Head’s much needed help in this crucial nerve-wracking final innings run chase, having been there and done that with championship-winning spells every time he’s out in the middle, and we owe him for the silverware the Aussies have been collecting time after time from World Cups to any other series.

Other than that, gotta say one of the fast bowling cartel would be most valuable player in this series and it’s Scotty Boland – he should’ve been kept on during the third Gabba test last month which could’ve set up the difference a draw and a win. But hey, he’s our cult hero over the last few years and we continue to need him as long as we can – nothing against Josh Hazlewood but we need healthy competition and this is what we need to maintain Australia’s status as World No.1.

Yes, the batters had their fair share too but again, they need to be up their game on par with the quicks and Nathan Lyon where they can’t let it slip away from here, especially when looking to defend the World Test title v South Africa later this year in June this time at Lord’s. The Proteas have been a fierce Test competitor for a long time outside of our “Big Three” bubble much like the Black Caps from New Zealand, so yeah, game on like it was before back in 2022-23 at home and we’ve won that 2-0 out of three.

Also, thank you India for being a tremendous visiting competitor who doesn’t give us an easy ride. They’ve only won the first test before last month for a headstart in Perth but that doesn’t mean they weren’t below Top 3 standard as their batting has been good mainly with Yashavi Jaiswal, Rishabh Pant & Nitish Kumar Reddy. So does the bowling thanks to one of the world’s best in Jasprit Bumrah – just a shame their constant changing selection to suit which ideal conditions has came back to bite them.

At the end of the day, the Aussies has been facing this over and over again and they’ve responded brilliantly with some wickets and spectacular batting moments along the way. Next up, winning the series v India in India for early 2027; heard NZ has done it recently in such a long time as why can’t Australia? We shall wait & see.

For now, bring on the Australian Open Tennis at Melbourne Park starting next Sunday across three weeks, the World Test Championship Final in June as said above, and also the next Ashes tour this time on home soil v England next summer.

Here’s the combined XI too that would be an unstoppable force against the world’s best as if Australia and India were playing as one whole team:

1. Yashasvi Jaiswal
2. Usman Khawaja
3. Marnus Labuschagne
4. Virat Kohli
5. Travis Head
6. Rishabh Pant (Wicket-Keeper)
7. Nitish Kumar Reddy
8. Ravi Jadeja
9. Pat Cummins
10. Scott Boland
11. Jasprit Bumrah
12. Beau Webster (12th Man – I know he only played one Test so far but is still a useful back up player in all areas an all-rounder with the bat, pace and even spin though).

Plus, thanks to everyone putting in the hard-earned money that is now counting at the several million dollars mark towards funding more nurses to help treat cancer patients also from the last few days when it comes to the McGrath Foundation – well done. We also cannot forget the star-studded guests coming along at the same time like Hollywood actress Rose Byrne, legendary batsman of ours Steve Waugh and US Tennis legend & also Nine’s Australian Open tennis pundit in Jim Courier. 

And last but not least, we didn’t know Mark Nicholas (no relation) has been commentating for India’s Star Sports via their English language viewership throughout this series including SuperSport two summers ago when the Proteas toured here with the broadcaster wanting to have their own commentary like it has been many times before for three Tests and the same goes with Star with their vast Indian audience – even though times are much different nowadays.

He was the last long-time face on the screens of Nine along with the late Richie Benaud as his predecessor before Richie sadly passed away to skin cancer nearly a decade ago when they used to have the rights for so long up until 2018 before the network elected to go with the Australian Open Tennis.

Maybe Cricket Australia should get him onboard as their senior on-air digital journalist since Fox & Seven is still covering it through 2031 as he’s also a regular columnist too with ESPN Cricinfo, although South Africa has been great to him too since Nine left cricket with the Proteas and SA20 thanks to SuperSport and we hope he is all well still contributing with our beautiful game at age 67.

It’s been an excellent low-scoring contest so far after Day 2 between Australia and India at the SCG but bowling proved to be the better fit for the Aussies though off the back of their underwhelming performance with the bat before they bounced back later on to keep themselves alive in this World Heavyweight Championship like decider for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.

For a start, our batting needs to up their game with a mix of single digit to bang average double digit scores wasn’t enough to build a good steady lead over India. The only decent thing about their okay 1st innings batting card is debutant all-rounder Beau Webster who scored 50 on debut and has also took a wicket too where Shubman Gill was caught behind by Alex Carey which was refreshing change indeed – nothing against Mitchell Marsh other than his catches but so far, so good. 

For everyone else, they better to not let balls flying through the edges of their bat next time regardless on the run chase target or else no series trophy for them.

Then as said, we were a couple times better when the Aussies were out of the field with the Kookaburra ball for India’s second innings shift once again. Okay, they should’ve not let it slip away with lost runs on the board with Yashasvi Jaiswal from the start alongside Rishabh Pant a while ago who top scored a quickfire 61 runs – not bad from the keeper there. 

But at least picking up early wickets was the key to keeping this series race alive and the Aussies have done it once again with six on the board in the hope of finishing up the job first thing for Day 3 tomorrow morning. At the moment, India are currently on 141/6 with a 145 run lead – so no excuses there with little room for missed/dropped catches. We could’ve got seven had the catch have been taken as Pommie Mbangwa said “catches win matches” or at least change up this game.

They’ve already gave a free run to Pant and Jaiswal, the Aussies can’t let the two remaining all-rounders + the tail batters get their lions share of adding runs any longer. Yes, Jasprit Bumrah may have hauled off the field over an injury also earlier today but I imagine he will be back to bat a bit tomorrow. Then we’ll see if he will be brave enough to bowl again that would be crucial to keep this series alive through a long, long way for Team India.

For now, the deciding 5th Test race is still on with still some play left to play for even though there’s 2-3 days to spare. India bouncing back as batting a bit longer and getting the Aussies all out in quick succession would be key while Australia need to limit India’s 2nd innings card under 180-200 and we could hopefully see a much improved batting effort so they can both win the trophy & the World Test Championship Final berth v South Africa.

Glad to hear the Aussies are currently on a roll following the first day of this deciding World Heavyweight Championship like Test match from the Sydney Cricket Ground as they are currently 9-1 with a 175 run trail having already bowled India all out under 200 a while ago for just 185.

Yes, they may have lost the toss to India who elected the opportunity to bat first but hey, at least the Aussies got themselves going with early wickets on the board amid some controversial appeals from the third umpire along the way. 

At first, we thought Steve Smith took a catch by lifting the ball off the ground before it went into the fielders hands which should’ve been out but then they said no. 

Then this second one – although relieved when the Aussies managed to get rid of Washington Sundar – Indian fans weren’t happy when Pat Cummins heard a knick off the bat before he used the appeal to great effect & he got what he wanted which was ultimately successful. 

It wasn’t the first time Pat Cummins uncovered India’s dirty secret having done that to opener Yashasvi Jaiswal a few days ago that led to Australia keeping themselves alive in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy race on the final day’s play of the previous Test at the MCG in Melbourne.

Other than that as said with the controversial appeals as well as the missed dropped catches, they were top notch as always when it comes to their fast bowling group where Scott Boland was brilliant once again with four on hand alongside Mitchell Starc of 3 wickets while Pat Cummins collected two + the catch of the quick scoring keeper Rishabh Pant for 40.

Plus, special shoutout to all-rounder debutant Beau Webster also with two early wicket catches including the dismissal of veteran Virat Kohli. So does our other new cult teenage hero from Kogarah in the St Georges NSW area Sam Konstas, who not only made a couple of stunning catches but also wowed Jasprit Bumrah yet again so far as the opener first ball boundary through square for four.

Let’s hope Sam can continue to shine especially on home turf by building on his debut Test 50 from the Boxing Day Melbourne Test last week going into Day 2 tomorrow as take it easy since it’s Tests not the Big Bash. But he will have to get through this shift with a new partner though in Marnus Labuschagne after Usman Khawaja got out that quick sadly on the last ball of today – also by Bumrah who continues to be lethal as one of the world’s elite fast bowlers of the game.

1 down, 3-4 days to go with Australia currently on the up and India fighting hard to pull up on their own where they can also change this storyline off the kookaburra ball too. So yeah, a big partnership from a big top-order batting performance should be key for the Aussies to be in the box seat and hopefully regain the Border-Gavaskar Trophy through this weekend – that’s all.